Hinge



Feb. 13, 1945. H. c. LANKGHoRsT 2,369,148

HINGE Filed Aug- 10, 194s FIG. 4

Patented Feb. 13, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'Y j 2,369,148 a tHINGE Howard C. Langhorst, Dayton, Ohio Application August 10, 1943,Serial No. 498,051

` 4 claims. (o1. 11i- 176) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, asamended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described hereinmay be arrianu-V factured and used by or for the Government forgovernmental purposes, without the payment to me of any royalty thereon.

This invention relates toreleasable hinges and more particularly topoint bearing, self-aligning and instant parting hinges.

An object of the invention is to provide a readily releasable hinge ofthe character employed lfor emergency doors and which is peculiarlyadaptable to use on airplane doors, cock-pit inclosures, bomb bays, wingsections, tail pieces and parts which may require instant release orchange. l

Another object of the invention is to provide a hinge which isautomatically adjustable to maintain uniform bearing relationshipbetween journal points and their bearings and manually adjustable to andfrom frictional locking relationship.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a hinge to which adoor or other swinging member may be universally connected in order thatsuch door orA member may automatically align itself during moments orconditions which would otherwise subject the same to twisting, warpingand other distortions, and whereby a door or other swinging member maybe relieved of binding, torsional and other stresses which may betransmitted to the frame upon which the door or swinging member ismounted.

A still further object of the invention is to pro-l vide a hinge wherebya door or other swingingv member may be readily released under,conditions rendering the same or its mounting frame permanentlydistorted. Y,

With the foregoing and other objects and aims in view, my inventionresides in the combination' of parts and in the details of constructionhereinafter set forth in the following specification and appendedclaims, certain embodiments thereof having the characteristics of myinvention and by which the same may be practiced being illustrated inthe accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view taken through the separated hingemembers on a plane substantially parallel with the faces of the leaves;Fig. 2, a View similar to that of Fig. 1, except that the hinge membersare shown journaled;

Fig. 3, a cross-sectional view taken as at" line 3-3 of the Fig. 2assemblage; and Fig. 4, a view similar to that of Fig. 2but illustrativeof a modiiied embodiment of the journnal members of the hinge.

The improved hinge includes male and female members I0 and II intendedto be secured to eooperating hinge leaves I2 and I3 or, in the absenceof leaves, to be secured one directly to a door, swinging member orpanel and the other to a frame or other member on which the former is tobe mounted. l

The female member I I is provided with a pair of opposed bearings I4 andI5 adapted to be cooperatively engaged by journal members IB and Ilcarried by the male member I0 in a manner whereby the journal membersmay be retracted for insertion into the female members and expandedalong a predetermined axis into cooperative, pivotal, rotatable orfrictional relationship within the female member.

Thefemale member I I of the hinge may consist of ani anchoredreclining-U-shaped member I8, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, in which thebearings I4 and I5 consist of well-like recesses symmetrically disposedin the inner opposed surfaces of the member, or as shown in Fig. 4, thefemale portion of the hinge may consist of a pair of anchored plate-likemembers Ia and |819, mounted upon the opposed surfaces of `areclining-U- shapednotch I9 in the edge of a door or frame. The malemember I0 of the embodiment illustrated in Figs, 1 through 3 includes ajournal box 2D in which the journals I B and I1 are mounted incontiguous relationship, but movable in opposite directions along apredetermined axis, within a journal box bearing 2|, by a manuallyadjustable wedge 22 which may be forced between adjacent ends of thejournals, as by a screw 23 to move the journals I6 and I'I into thebearings I4 and I5.

In the embodiment of Figs. l through 3, the body portions of thejournals are cylindrical `and their projected ends are shaped as theirustum v of a cone and the bearings I4 and I5 of this embodiment are ofa reverse shape as an inverted truncated cone in orderthat the journalpoints may have a greater degree of adjustment, i. e.,

56 members in xed angular relationship. Such locking is frequentlydesired to hold the flaps or tail members of an airplane model in xedangular position for wind tunnel testing, for holding the wings of aportable screen in fixed angular relationship to the panel thereof, forholding a door ajar, etc. l.

e In the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 4, the male member includes aypair ofball journals l5 and I1 automatically separable along apredetermined axis by a wedge r22 controlled by a spring 2'1 asdistinguished from the manually operable screw 23 of Fig. 1. In thisembodiment the bearings of the plate-like members lBa and |817, formingthe female member of the hinge, are unlike in that but one thereof'isprovided with a welll-ike bearing, whereas the other isprovidedwithaplanar surface upon which one of the ball bear,-

ing journals engages surcially and is free to' travel thereon, limitedonlyY by such angular po sitions of the journal box with respect to thesur--L faces of the plate-like members 18a andrlb as will bring about abinding relationship between the sidesof the journal box and thesurfaces of f journal box with the surfaces` of the bearing plates. Therespective male and female' members are,'of course, of such size as Willallow angular adjustment, the former within the latter, to a degreeinsuflicient to allow the ball journal I6 to be pivoted from its bearingI4. In this embodiment the spring controlled wedge 22 is provided in ashaft 28 whereby the wedge may be retracted manually against theforce ofthe spring2'l to allow rthe ball journals to move toward one another inorder to retract the male member of lthe hinge for separation thereof.

The members forming the hinge may be secured to leaves'or doors andframes by any suitable means, such, for example, as illustrated in the'accompanying drawing.

vIn operation, ,screw 23 is retracted as in Fig. 1, orvthe plunger ofthe Fig. 4 embodiment withdrawn sufficiently to permit the journals tobe passed into the female memberV of the hinge and the journals thenceseparated into seating relationship with the bearings by a tightening ofscrew 23 or release of plunger 28. The freedom with which itis desiredto have the hinge members work, yof the Fig. 1 embodiment, may begoverned by the depth to which screw 23 is drive en which' may be to apoint bringing abouta frictional gripping between the journals andbearings for locking purposes.

Having described my invention and illustrated embodiments by which thesame maybe prac-` ticed', what I claim is: l

v1. Means for securing one member angularly adjustable to anothercomprising a journal box adapted to be secured'to one of said members,

a pair of journals carried by'said journal box,

and a pair of .bearings adapted to be secured to the other of saidmembers in spaced axial alignment, one of said bearings being so formedas to receive one of said journals-for universal movement therein, theother of said vbearings having a planar surface adapted to besuriicially engaged by the other of said journals, whereby said journalbox may berotatedcoaxially of said-journals and pivoted universallyabout the bearing point of one of said journals.

2. Means for securing one member angularly adjustable to anothercomprising a journal box l adapted to be secured to one of said members,

a pair. of journals carried by said journal box,

a pair of bearings adapted to be secured to the other of said members inspaced axial alignment, one of saidbearings being so formed as toreceive' one of said journals for universal movement therein,.the otherof said bearings having a.V planar` surfaceadapted rto be surciallyengaged by the other of said journals, whereby said journal box may berotated coaxially of' said.v journals and pivoted universallyabout thebear-j ing point of one of said journals, and means limiting theuniversal tilt of said journal box to prevent unintentionaldisengagement lof said journals and bearings.

3. Means for securing one member angular'ljrvv Yadjustable to anothercomprising a journal box adapted to be secured to one of said members,

pairv of bearings adapted to be secured to the other of said members inspaced axial alignment automatically operable means associated withfvsaid journals for wedgingly holding said journals in cooperativerelationship with said bearings, saidv automatically operable meansbeingv manu-A ally releasable to free 'said cooperative relation-' ship,one of said bearings being so formed. as to.` receive one of saidjournals therein, the other of said bearings having a planar surfaceadapted to be suriicially engaged by the other of said journals, wherebysaid journal box may be ro tated coaxially of said journals and pivoteduniversally about the bearing point `of one of said' journals, and meanslimiting the universal' ,tilt

of said journal box to prevent unintentional. disengagement of saidjournals and bearings. 4. Means to secure one member angularly ad`justable to another comprising a journal box adapted to be secured toone of said members, a pair of journals carried by said journal box,wedge means associated with said journals. to move the journals awayfrom each oth'eralong a predetermined axis, a recessed lbearing and aplanar bearing secured to the other of said`mem-- bers in spaced axialalignment to each. other to cooperatively engage said journals, saidbearingsallowing rotation of said. journal box coaxially of saidjournals and allowing a limited universall pivoting of said journal' boxabout theY journalA engaging the recessed bearing.

HOWARD C. 'LANGHORSIL

